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The Energy Blog is where all topics relating to The Energy Revolution are presented. Increasingly, expensive oil, coal and global warming are causing an energy revolution by requiring fossil fuels to be supplemented by alternative energy sources and by requiring changes in lifestyle. Please contact me with your comments and questions. Further Information about me can be found HERE.

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May 17, 2007

Alcoa Develops Carbon Capture Technology for Alumina Refineries

Alcoa (NYSE:AA) announced on Tuesday that it has launched a new carbon capture technology at its Kwinana alumina refinery in Western Australia that has the potential to deliver significant global greenhouse benefits and will contribute to a reduction in the aluminum industry’s environmental footprint.

Alcoa’s Carbon Capture system is a in house developed residue treatment process that involves mixing bauxite residue, a by-product of the aluminum-making process, with carbon dioxide (CO2). This delivers greenhouse benefits by locking up large volumes of CO2 that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere. The Kwinana carbonation plant will lock up 70,000 tons of CO2 a year, the equivalent of eliminating the emissions of 17,500 automobiles. Alcoa plans to deploy the technology at its nine alumina refineries worldwide. Deployment across Alcoa’s operations in Australia alone could potentially save 300,000 tons of CO2 each year.

Bauxite residue is a mixture of minerals that are left behind when alumina is removed from bauxite. Although it is thoroughly washed, the residue retains some alkaline liquor and requires long-term storage. By mixing CO2 into the bauxite residue, its pH level is reduced to levels found naturally in alkaline soils. A second sustainability benefit is that the improved environmental properties of the residue mean it also can be beneficially used as road base, building materials or to improve soil.

Alcoa plans to share the technology within the aluminum industry which is also vital to its long term sustainability.

Comments

As nice as it is to see this sort of innovation happening locally (I live in Perth) I have just one question. Where are they getting the CO2 from? I bet it is not from the output of a coal fired power plant.

Ender, they are getting the CO2 from the aluminum smelting process. Carbon electrodes react with the oxygen in the alumina to produce metalic aluminum and CO2. From what I have read, something near a half ton of carbon electrode is required to produce a ton of aluminum. That means that nearly 1.8 tons of CO2 are produced per ton of aluminum.

THERMOVOLTAIK - CURRENT FROM WARMTH
ADD THERMAL GENERATORS - decentralized current supply for each household.

The new thermal generator generation are pollution free, efficiently, compactly and efficient. Status of information: 09.01.2007 The Thermovoltaik is the sphere of activity of physics, which is concerned with the transformation of heat energy into electricity. One cannot produce or destroy only convert energy. If two different metals or alloys are together contacted and heated up, a low electrical tension develops between the metals.

A thermal current generator, patent DE 43 13 827 A1, consists laminar contacted layers of metal of several in row on suitable carriers of thermoelectric neutral materials, which serve as conductor. These identical thin-layered laid on thermocouples those from two different thermoelectric materials exist, are laminar contacted at the ends of the oblong carriers. The lower side heated up, on the side opposite cooled, recommendable is the cooling with liquid hydrogen, which is led thereafter gaseously to the combustion chamber. From the temperature difference of the pairs of thermocouples arranged opposite electrical DC voltage with high current value results. The use of several identical Thermopaare for tension production is a comfortable compromise settlement, which energy conversion in such a way efficient not used and is strongly limited. The new thermal generators according to the computer centre additive method the thermal cells also contacted in row are developed, are not more effective in the comparison to any longer the temperature gradient procedure up-to-date like above, an additional cooling as is common knowledge, are not not necessary.
A thermal cell consists a flat thermocouple, additionally a likewise laminar contacted material with electric rectifier characteristics, of two thin-layered thermoelectric materials, which are together laminar contacted, with parameter in millivolt range with high current passage exhibits. If one connects just as laminar several thermal cells in row as thermopile block, in order to win higher tension, the individual Zellenspannungen add up by the electric rectifier effect of the additive method, comparably also in row switched batteries. The additive circuit offers besides new applications in the sensor technology with higher sensitivities. The newest efficient flat thermal cells RZ5130 supply, compared with the well-known tellurium ID elements higher values. Desired DC voltage is reached by the number of thermal cells and the current value with their surface sizes. For the achievement of a generator the current value is crucial in Ampere/mm ² the thermal cell areas and is durchfliest the quantity of the electrons as negative charge carrier in the inter+molecular Elekronenaustausch. In the laminar contact zone between the melted different thermoelectric materials a different charge carrier density, their values develops is proportional in the overall system for the supplied heat energy. The heat energy supply is possible with all kinds of fuel. By force heat coupling in the industry, fermentation gas, sun exposure, Geothermie or with hydrogen (won from solar power). Adequately dimensioned ADD thermal generators with an integrated high current inverter (HSWR), for this again-developed, which in the thermally closed housing are accommodated, can with 200 KW of electric motor achievement as drive with an efficiency to 80% be used or also only as replacement for „the generator “. Only the amount of heat must be adjusted, which delivers a thermally outward well isolated generator housing to the environment, large plants can far over 200 megawatts rated output reach.

A HIGH CURRENT INVERTER (patent) for thermal generators conceived, with elements of unorthodox design, is converted DC voltage in in or multi-phases alternating voltage (three-phase alternating current simulator) and opens new areas of application in the heavy current technology with low electrical tensions. Typical characteristics are variable entrance DC voltage 0.1 V up to 250 V, output point alternating voltage 0.2 to 500 V, frequency up to 400 cycles per second. HSWR are indispensable for the withdrawal of the maximally possible current value of Thermgeneratoren. Example. Passage stream with 14 V of input voltage approx. 50,000 ampere and <1% losses. The development more again, with carbon nano-tube (CNT) endowed materials, which than arranging leader (flat electric rectifier) work and current conductivity with physical characteristics attain for the employment in the Thermovoltaik are almost suited, lets for the future for far higher generator achievements hope. The use of the river with low electrical tension, which a flat thermocouple could actually produce, is a future-oriented technology in the range renewable energies.

THERMOVOLTAIK - CURRENT FROM WARMTH
ADD THERMAL GENERATORS - decentralized current supply for each household.

The new thermal generator generation are pollution free, efficiently, compactly and efficient. Status of information: 09.01.2007 The Thermovoltaik is the sphere of activity of physics, which is concerned with the transformation of heat energy into electricity. One cannot produce or destroy only convert energy. If two different metals or alloys are together contacted and heated up, a low electrical tension develops between the metals.

A thermal current generator, patent DE 43 13 827 A1, consists laminar contacted layers of metal of several in row on suitable carriers of thermoelectric neutral materials, which serve as conductor. These identical thin-layered laid on thermocouples those from two different thermoelectric materials exist, are laminar contacted at the ends of the oblong carriers. The lower side heated up, on the side opposite cooled, recommendable is the cooling with liquid hydrogen, which is led thereafter gaseously to the combustion chamber. From the temperature difference of the pairs of thermocouples arranged opposite electrical DC voltage with high current value results. The use of several identical Thermopaare for tension production is a comfortable compromise settlement, which energy conversion in such a way efficient not used and is strongly limited. The new thermal generators according to the computer centre additive method the thermal cells also contacted in row are developed, are not more effective in the comparison to any longer the temperature gradient procedure up-to-date like above, an additional cooling as is common knowledge, are not not necessary.
A thermal cell consists a flat thermocouple, additionally a likewise laminar contacted material with electric rectifier characteristics, of two thin-layered thermoelectric materials, which are together laminar contacted, with parameter in millivolt range with high current passage exhibits. If one connects just as laminar several thermal cells in row as thermopile block, in order to win higher tension, the individual Zellenspannungen add up by the electric rectifier effect of the additive method, comparably also in row switched batteries. The additive circuit offers besides new applications in the sensor technology with higher sensitivities. The newest efficient flat thermal cells RZ5130 supply, compared with the well-known tellurium ID elements higher values. Desired DC voltage is reached by the number of thermal cells and the current value with their surface sizes. For the achievement of a generator the current value is crucial in Ampere/mm ² the thermal cell areas and is durchfliest the quantity of the electrons as negative charge carrier in the inter+molecular Elekronenaustausch. In the laminar contact zone between the melted different thermoelectric materials a different charge carrier density, their values develops is proportional in the overall system for the supplied heat energy. The heat energy supply is possible with all kinds of fuel. By force heat coupling in the industry, fermentation gas, sun exposure, Geothermie or with hydrogen (won from solar power). Adequately dimensioned ADD thermal generators with an integrated high current inverter (HSWR), for this again-developed, which in the thermally closed housing are accommodated, can with 200 KW of electric motor achievement as drive with an efficiency to 80% be used or also only as replacement for „the generator “. Only the amount of heat must be adjusted, which delivers a thermally outward well isolated generator housing to the environment, large plants can far over 200 megawatts rated output reach.

A HIGH CURRENT INVERTER (patent) for thermal generators conceived, with elements of unorthodox design, is converted DC voltage in in or multi-phases alternating voltage (three-phase alternating current simulator) and opens new areas of application in the heavy current technology with low electrical tensions. Typical characteristics are variable entrance DC voltage 0.1 V up to 250 V, output point alternating voltage 0.2 to 500 V, frequency up to 400 cycles per second. HSWR are indispensable for the withdrawal of the maximally possible current value of Thermgeneratoren. Example. Passage stream with 14 V of input voltage approx. 50,000 ampere and <1% losses. The development more again, with carbon nano-tube (CNT) endowed materials, which than arranging leader (flat electric rectifier) work and current conductivity with physical characteristics attain for the employment in the Thermovoltaik are almost suited, lets for the future for far higher generator achievements hope. The use of the river with low electrical tension, which a flat thermocouple could actually produce, is a future-oriented technology in the range renewable energies.